CHAP. vnr. ANECDOTES OF ANTELOPES. 3G9 



where it went in. It is very difficult to account for 

 this, unless, indeed, it was licking its side when I 

 fired, which, at the time, I certainly did not think it 

 was, or unless it might have been caused, as the natives 

 thought, by some sudden start it had given when first 

 struck. 



I also remember once seeing one of these antelopes 

 browsing on some leaves above it in a curious manner. I 

 was going through a line of jungle which edges the river 

 Pongolo, when I noticed the branches in front violently 

 agitated, and at first thought it was caused by monkeys. 

 However, on stealing forward a few yards, I was much 

 surprised to see the head of a doe water-antelope ; for, in 

 the first place, I had always thought that they confined 

 themselves to grass, and in the second, I could not con- 

 ceive how she could get so high up, unless, indeed, she 

 was standing on an ant-heap, and that did not seem to 

 be the case, as her head kept bobbing up and down as if 

 the support could scarcely bear her weight. On moving 

 a little on one side to where my view was not obstructed 

 by the bushes, I saw that she was raising herself after 

 the manner of a goat on her hind-legs, and after grasp- 

 ing a branch of leaves descending again. This she did 

 several times in succession while I was watching her 

 until, in fact, I shot her. On relating the incident to the 

 hunters in camp, I found them as sceptical as they dared 

 to be with me, and though conviction was forced upon 

 them by the contents of the animal's stomach, one and 

 all declared that they had never either heard of or seen 

 a water-antelope browsing on leaves, or raising itself on 

 its hind-legs in such a fashion. 



2 A 



